Police across Europe have arrested more than 100 people for sharing the "worst-of-the-worst" child sexual abuse images across the Internet, Europol said today.
In house-to-house searches across 26 countries, including Ireland, "Operation Icarus" swooped on previously unknown networks of child sex offenders who were sharing videos online, the European law enforcement agency said.
"The operation targeted those sharing the most extreme forms of video material, which included babies and toddlers being sexually abused and raped," Europol said in a statement.
One person was arrested in Ireland, a Garda spokesman said, without giving further details.
So much material was seized it will take months or even years to analyse.
The year-long investigation, led by Danish police, will now focus on identifying the people who produced the videos, as well as their child victims.
Europol director Rob Wainwright said the operation showed that the internet was helping offenders develop better file sharing techniques and ways to protect their identity.
One Swiss man arrested had 36,000 hours of video on his computer equipment, a Europol spokesman said.
EU home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the case showed the importance of Europol and national forces working together on appalling crimes that knew no borders.
"These children are victims of multiple crimes. First, when the actual abuse takes place. Then, when it is filmed. And, thereafter, every time the images are posted, circulated or viewed," she said in a statement.
Europol said it had identified 269 suspects and expected to make further arrests on top of the 112 people already detained.